Precious

Look at that face: see that chubby goodness? Don't you want to pinch him, and coo over him...maybe squeal a little at how cute he is? At the same time, don't you feel like you could sit and absorb him for hours, hoping you'll have the chance to get to know him, who he will be, as a big person? I know myself to be a very fortunate person, to be able to see him every day, to feel his plump solidness sit ergonomically in my arms, to smell his slightly sour I-need-changing smell, to watch his face as he discovers something new, to see his eyes light up when he's pleased...and even hear his baby dinosaur screech when he's not.

Fortunately, for every one of his 365+ days he's been in the prime of health. He sleeps well, is prepared to be content, and shows no fear of life. Somewhere in Toronto tonight, are two families who are anxiously waiting to find out the fate of their own little ones. One was supposed to live because the other one died. One of the baby girls was going to be taken off her respirator and allowed to die. Her parents wanted to donate her tiny little heart to the other baby who apparently has only weeks to live because of a heart defect.

How can this story not break your heart? Both families are saying goodbye to their one and two month-old babies. The 'donor' family has been told their daughter, because of an obscure disease which has affected her brain formation, can expect to experience breathing failure, kidney troubles, and possibly other complications. So they decided to take her off the respirator to allow her to die in her sleep. Doctors prepared the 'recipient' baby for the transplant procedure, but guess what? The plucky little donor baby survived the night, breathing entirely on her own! And instead of rejoicing, the press has been talking about it in terms of a failure, that baby Kaylee is no longer able to be considered an organ donor because she failed to die. Biological anomolies are born and survive all the time. I really hope and pray that this little wonder will live, and live a full and happy life.

And yet. And yet, I really am sad for the other little one and her family, who came so close to having their hopeful dreams realized, and now must brace themselves all over again for having their bleakest dread come to pass. I cannot begin to fathom how hard it must be to see such a tiny little person having to fight for every day of life.

Miracles happen all of the time. This strikes me as a very propitious time of year to be asking for a special miracle or two. I will be praying for these little girls and their families.